Host website for digitally labeled websites and method

ABSTRACT

There is described a host website and method for digitally labeling websites or subscribers with digital labels which represent characteristics and qualities of the website. The digital labels are stored on host websites, each of which is directed to a specific subject or activity. The host website can also provide digital labels for storage in other host websites. The host website is provided with artificial intelligence capabilities.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to application Ser. No.09/791,440 filed Feb. 22, 2001, which claims priority to Provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/238,303 filed Oct. 4, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present inventions relate to data-gathering and digitallabeling methods for websites, and the structure and operating processesof a specialized Host Website whose function is to maintain a library ofwebsite digital labels and to use these labels to assist in Internetsearches. The inventions also relate to the use of low-level artificialintelligence in executing Internet searches; and to a specialized“ergonomic” webpage graphic structure which further facilitates Internetsearches by presenting a more intuitive interface to users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The original concept behind what has become today's Internet wasto serve as a robust multi-path method of communication among personswho already knew each other and what they were talking about.

[0004] Due to the Internet's dramatic evolution into an open system forlarge numbers of participants with different purposes, key aspects ofInternet mechanics are poorly suited to the functions they are beingcalled upon to play. The small number of original users did not warranthierarchical agglomerations of addresses on the Internet analogous tolibrary main sections which agglomerate books of similar subject ornature. Suffixes such as .com and .net are used by so many differententities as to be meaningless as agglomerations. Moreover, there are nopublicly-available mechanical means for finding or visiting sitespreferentially according to their suffixes. Without manual inspection, awebsite for a restaurant is indistinguishable from that of a day school,or a mining company.

[0005] As a consequence of these deficiencies, the Internet posesserious problems for both “publishers” —those who operate websites inorder to present information to the electronic world at large, and“surfers” —those looking for information without a known website addressin mind. For publishers, the issue is how to get one's website noticedin an increasingly crowded field; for surfers, the issue is how to findwhat's out there.

[0006] Search engines have provided a partial solution, but not adefinitive one, and unfortunately one which has led much of the Internetcommunity down the wrong path. On behalf of surfers, a search enginestarts with a surfer-inputted word or phrase, and “reads” vast numbersof sites, looking for word or phrase matches or exclusions (forsimplicity, “word matches”). However, word matches only give clues as toa site's nature, not unambiguous information about a site or itspublisher. As a result, searches generally yield a large number ofmatches, most of which do not answer the surfer's needs. Furthermore,most surfers are not willing to spend substantial time culling throughthe large number of matches. Later “refinements”, such as frequency orprominence weighting, or counting linkage to a given site, has notsignificantly improved the quality of search results.

[0007] The word-match technology used by search engines is well-suitedfor research. News articles and academic papers which refer tospecialized terms or specific names can often be searched for with greataccuracy. However, as shown above, word-match technology is ratherpoorly suited to finding commonplace commercial information, which is,however, exactly what most publishers—the Internet's payingconstituents—are trying to offer through the Web. As a result of theknown difficulties of getting found on the Web, many commercial entitiessimply choose not to have a website at all.

[0008] Realizing their weaknesses, most popular search engines nowheavily supplement their computerized searches with human research andjudgment, and contractual arrangements with outside parties for theprovision of data.

[0009] For example, a Yahoo search for “Denver restaurants” will yield,not a genuine search engine result, but a link to CuisineNet, arestaurant-list site. This site was clearly assembled by hand by a groupof food writers covering a rather small number of restaurants for ametro area of Denver's size.

[0010] An Alta Vista search for “Los Angeles plumbers” initially yielded100% garbage under the computer-managed websites-only search, but wassalvaged with a link to what was evidently a manually constructed“Yellow Pages” section, which had a large number of plumber listings.

[0011] Hence, while touting themselves as “high-technology” enterpriseswith “powerful” search engines, many portals are in fact relying moreand more heavily on “low-tech” human intervention. Moreover, althoughportals are generally supposed by the public to be impartial andnon-discriminatory vehicles for finding information on the Web, it isevident that to provide apparently satisfactory search results, theymust deviate more and more from this ideal.

[0012] The Internet now has tens of millions of sites, with thousandsmore created daily. The limitations of search engines and increasingreliance on human intervention—inherently slow, unwieldy, and prone toprejudice—therefore virtually guarantee that the overwhelming majorityof sites on the Internet will not be reliably found by their intendedaudiences, that many will choose not to bother having a website, andthat much of the Internet's potential for enabling commercialtransactions will not be realized.

[0013] The focus has been on making search engines more and moreintelligent, in the hope that and early automobile companies competedfor the best mechanics. The focus instead should have been on making thejob fundamentally easier to do. This is what Gutenberg did when heinvented moveable type, and Henry Ford, when he invented the assemblyline.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] There is provided a Host Website system and method in whichsubscribers label their own products and services and in which similarlylabeled objects and services are stored in common locations withhierarchical multi-parameter labels.

[0015] The system includes Internet-related data-gathering, labeling,storing and searching methods. The system and method can best beappreciated by metaphor: consider the Internet as a library whose books(websites) are not only scattered at random but also indistinguishablefrom each other except upon actually being opened. Internet portals arelike librarians who are resigned to the fact that the books (websites)are in disarray, but purport to help readers by speed-reading. Thepresent invention creates order in the library by establishing discretesections where books (websites) can be organized by category, and bycodifying information about each book (website) on index cards so thatreaders can more easily identify the books (websites) they need.

[0016] A special-purpose Host Website is established. It has a subject-or area-specific scope. It accepts subscription listings from persons orentities related to the specified scope; these persons or entities may,but need not, have a website of their own; the listings are createdonline, automatically, and without human intervention or review on thepart of the Host Website. The listings provide contact information,descriptions, and hyperlinks to the subscribers. There would be aplurality of Host Websites covering (sometimes with overlaps) the entireconceivable population of Internet websites, whose owners would choosewhich or how many Host Websites on which to have themselves listed.

[0017] In the process of creating its listing online, each subscriber isasked questions by the Host Website computer, with a view to determiningqualitative characteristics, such as: general nature (e.g., school);more specific nature (e.g., university); an enumeration of itsactivities, services, or products (e.g, medicine, law, business, etc.);its price range or an indicator thereof (e.g., state-sponsored); itsheadquarters and/or operating location(s) (e.g., Los Angeles, SantaBarbara, etc.); its payment and credit partices (e.g. scholarshuip forminorities); and similar data depending on the nature of the subscriber.

[0018] The Host Website computer poses questions automatically, takesaccount of previous answers, and avoids asking inapplicable questions.When the data-gathering sequence is concluded (a process of about 10minutes), it converts the answers into a plurality of digital labelsevidencing each of the identified qualitative characteristics. This canbe effected with almost any programming language capable of handlinginstructions in the form “If A [e.g., subscriber clicked a box saying itoffers scholarships for minorities], then B [instruction to computer towrite an appropriate code, e.g., “mnsch”, and associate it with thislisting].

[0019] At any later time, any subscriber could be searched for throughthe Host Website on the basis of any configuration of digital labels,e.g., state-sponsored universities in California which offerminority-eligible scholarships. To perform this search, a Host Websitecomputer would scan its database for listings which have the “mnsch”label as well as the particular labels for the other characteristics ofbeing a school, more precisely a university, state-sponsored, inCalifornia.

[0020] Searches within a Host Website, with a defined scope, cantherefore be more precise and direct than is possible under anycurrently-used search method on the Internet. Most important, from theviewpoint of the subscriber, the multi-parameter digital labeling andthe Host Website together provide assurance that it will be found by itstarget audience—not the case for most websites today. For example, ahypothetical Chinese restaurant, if it had a website, would be unlikelyto be found through a portal unless one knew its exact name; whereas ifit were listed on a hypothetical Host Website on New York City, it wouldsurely be found by many persons under varying circumstances and searchparameters. Moreover, when found through a Host Website, a website wouldbe in a high-relevance list and on the first few pages of hits, not thecase with portal search results, in which the valid answers if any areoften hidden in a sea of irrelevance.

[0021] At any time after creating its listing, a subscriber can goonline again and amend its contact data or its digital labels. Forexample, if the restaurant has changed its phone number or has a newwebsite address, or now charges higher prices, these can be reflectedimmediately online.

[0022] A Host Website computer is also endowed with artificialintelligence in the search process, by which is meant that it isprogrammed to understand synonyms, make suggestions to the user, andoffer means of distilling search results, among others. Searchers maytherefore use everyday terminology without having to wonder what magicwords might be in the texts of websites they are looking for. Forexample, a searcher may be interested in hotels in Manhattan withking-size beds in the “moderate” price range. There is no way to elicita meaningful response on this request from a conventional search engine.In contrast, a Host Website dedicated to New York City, when asked for“hotel”, “inn”, or “accommodations”, could be programmed to recognizeany of these words as meaning lodging, and to make the judgment (sincethere are many of these in New York City) that it should immediatelyoffer a number of parameters by which to define the search, includingbed-types, price range, and other qualities, so as to get a meaningfulresponse and not a list of thousands or millions of websites whichhappen to have the word “hotel” in them somewhere.

[0023] All existing search technologies on the Internet are based onword-matches or “keywords”, which are mere character-strings of unknownsignificance. Inherently, there is no way to make a word-search“intelligent”. “Intelligence” involves and requires manipulation ofsymbols, which is precisely what digital labels are. The use ofartificial intelligence in a search is only possible with a databaselike a Host Website's, which is based on unambiguous digital labels.

[0024] Multi-parameter digital labeling can also be extended to“Personal Preference” use, to identify websites with content that may bedistasteful to some users; and “I Want Mail” labels, by which users cansignify their demographic characteristics and ask to be notified ofcertain types of news, event, or commercial offer.

[0025] Finally, Host Websites have a specially-designed graphicinterface which is “ergonomic” and considerably easier to use than mostexisting webpage designs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription when read in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

[0027]FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the operational steps for commencing alisting;

[0028]FIGS. 2a and 2 b show a flow chart of the operational steps forcreating a particular category of listing;

[0029]FIGS. 3a and 3 b show a flow chart of the operational steps forcreating a particular listing;

[0030]FIGS. 4a-k are screens showing the user interface duringoperational steps in the flow charts of FIGS. 1-3b;

[0031]FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operational steps for creating andstoring multi-parameter digital labels in a database;

[0032]FIGS. 6a and 6 b show a flow chart of the search logic; and

[0033]FIG. 7 shows an ergonomic webpage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] As discussed above, subscribers label their websites and thelabels are digitized. A “label” is something which identifies contents,or provides information about the subscriber or his website. Generally,the labels are multi-parameter digital labels. That is, a plurality oflabels, each one conveying unambiguous qualitative data about an item,its maker, or its owner, in digital form are created. This permits anitem to be identified by computers according to the presence, absence,or configuration of the labels. An example of two-parameter labeling isto label a list of people. In computer field “A”, place a “0” or a “1”to indicate if a person is male or female, respectively. In field “B”,place a 0 to indicate a college graduate, and a blank (null entry)otherwise. Should one want to identify males who are not collegegraduates, the computer would search Field A for 0s, and Field B fornull entries. The conjunction of the two sets would yield the desiredlist of males.

[0035] Multi-parameter digital labeling could help identify and sortwebsites according to various configurations of characteristics, withfar greater precision and conciseness than search engines or systemswhich merely list sites under various categories. Multi-parameterdigital labels could be used to indicate, for example: the nature of anentity or of its activities; location or service area; price range;specific products or services offered; credit and payment terms; exactfacilities offered to customers; and many other forms of unambiguousqualitative information which could later be digitally manipulated toidentify the entity under a variety of search circumstances. Informationthat is not even on a site could be encoded for the site. For instance,a corporation's site might not mention that it is a Fortune 500 company;but this fact could be labeled.

[0036] In accordance with one feature of the present invention, aspecialized Digital-Label Website (Host Website) is established, withthe principal purpose of creating and domiciling multi-parameter digitallabels. Alternatively, several Host Websites could be established, onefor each specified subject. Owners of websites (subscribers) would befree to select which of these, or how many of these, to be digitallylabeled on. The advantage of this approach is that in each distinct suchHost Website there could be a common context for publishers and users,and each subject's idiosyncrasies could be taken into account. Thiswould simplify both the process of creating labels and of searching.These concepts are discussed more fully under Host Websites. Websitepublishers would go online to a Host Website and answer a series ofquestions designed to gather the information needed to create thedigital labels. To facilitate this process, the questioning procedurewould preferably feature low-level artificial intelligence, adapting thequestions according to the previous answers given. An example of this isthat restaurants would be asked what price range they are in, but thisquestion would not be posed to a civic organization. Upon completion ofthe question sequence, the Host Website computer would requestverification, create an identifier code for the website being labeled,ask for a password from the user, and then complete the process byautomatically recording all the appropriate digital labels in itsdatabase. With the passwords, entities could later amend their labelsonline.

[0037] The automatic process of creating digital labels is not dependenton any particular hardware or form of software. Virtually any computerprogramming language can be employed to achieve the same net results,which are:

[0038] 1. As a subscriber clicks on a multiple-choice or Yes/No answerto a question, write into a temporary file a digital label (oralphanumeric label which can be digitally processed) which uniquelyrefers to the substantive data expressed by the answer.

[0039] 2. Accumulate the digital labels for all answers until the onlinesubscription process is completed and the subscriber requests listing.

[0040] 3. Once listing is requested, the accumulated digital labels areautomatically transposed into permanent files on the Host Website. Thiscan be done, for example, by maintaining database columns for eachpossible kind of digital label, and under each column placing theidentifier numbers for all listings to which this label applies. Forexample, there might be a digital code “usnyuw”, meaning a location inthe Upper West Side of Manhattan. Under the “usnyuw” column would be theID numbers of all the subscribers located in this part of Manhattan.When a listing is created, the computer would read the labels noted inthe temporary file, find the columns for each label, and write thissubscriber's ID number under each applicable column. There are severalalternate methods of structuring a digital-label database withessentially identical effect except for computer processing times.

[0041] Users are able to search the Host Website's database byspecifying types of qualitative data found on the digital labels. Thiswould allow high-precision results. Search methods are more fullydescribed below.

[0042] Most website publishers, especially commercial entities, wouldwish to have their sites digitally labeled, in order to improve theirchances of getting found on the Web by interested searchers. Indeed,with very few exceptions, getting found is the primary worry of Websitepublishers. Provision could also be made for entities without websitesto register basic information about themselves and be digitally labeled;this would be useful while their websites are still under construction.Also, entities with modest means or scope could view a registration andlabeling on the Host Website as an affordable alternative to havingtheir own website, and an easy way to become a participant in theInternet.

[0043] The multi-parameter digital labels thus far described are “pure”digital labels. For example, in the process of listing on the HostWebsite, an entity may indicate that it is a wine merchant, where “winemerchant” is a predefined term within the listing process, and thisphrase is therefore “understood” by both the subscriber and the websitecomputer.

[0044] In some circumstances, the use of “hybrid” digital labels may beexpedient, especially where the multiplicity of possible responses makesit impractical or impossible for the Digital Labeling Website to beexhaustively pre-coded for every contingency. A hybrid digital label isone in which the field is unambiguously digitally defined as a certainkind of field, but the subscriber entry in the field is a characterstring.

[0045] For example, a Digital Labeling Website may invite subscriberwine merchants to enumerate the wines they stock, these enumerations tobe recorded in a database field which it predefines as “wine merchantstock list.” The subscriber may then enter text (character strings),e.g., “Chateau Latour 1961.” This entry, despite being a characterstring, now has a known and unambiguous significance, which is that itrepresents a wine of some sort offered by a wine merchant. With anappropriate interface, a site visitor could type out a particular winename, in response to which the Host Website computer would perform aword-match search which is limited to this certain database field (“winemerchant stock list”). Instead of tediously searching the entireInternet for all mentions of “Chateau,” “Latour” and “1961”—which iswhat all conventional search engines would do, thereby yielding millionsof irrelevant hits, with the aid of the hybrid digital label, a HostWebsite computer (which is programmed for the purpose) could quickly andprecisely identify all the wine merchants on the Web which stock ChateauLatour of any vintage, and whether any stores at all have its 1961vintage.

[0046] Using ordinary word-matching technology, an attempt to findbottles of Latour 1961 for sale on the Web would meet with littlesuccess; if the phrase were even interpreted correctly as a certainvintage of a certain wine estate, the search engine would most likelyturn up an article on rare wines and not a list of ready and willingwine sellers.

[0047] Hybrid digital labels are therefore comparable in utility to“pure” digital labels in certain applications, especially in dealingwith potentially long enumerations of products, brands, persons andsimilar kinds of items.

[0048] Multi-parameter digital labeling of sites could be performedmanually. Illustratively, one would scour the Internet to identify sitesthat referred to wine makers. By interviewing the owners, reading winebooks, and whatever other method, one could determine the location ofeach wine-maker; what kinds of wine it makes; what price range the winesare; and so forth. All these pieces of information could be codified assets of multi-parameter digital labels for each site, and serve toconvey unambiguous qualitative information about the site and its owner(the winery).

[0049] To further improve on the process of digital labeling, as much aspossible of the process should be automated, by which is meant the useof any computer-based process which facilitates the work of a humandata-gatherer or encoder. Finally, websites can be labeledautomatically, i.e., without any human data-gatherer or encoder at all,by programming a computer to undertake the entire process of gatheringdata and creating digital codes. One such process will be presentlydescribed.

[0050] When the multi-parameter digital labeling of a website existswithin, or at least in the same computer as, the website itself, itcould be termed “resident” multi-parameter digital labeling. At thistime, resident labeling is impractical on an Internet-wide basis becausethis would require accessing all the sites on the Web every time anyoneconducts a search. In contrast, “Non-resident multi-parameter digitallabeling” refers to the maintenance, in a single location different fromthat of the website, of multi-parameter digital labels for that andother sites, within an overall construct for systematic multi-parameterdigital labeling as defined above.

[0051] All existing Internet search methods are based on word matches orlistings-by-category.

[0052] Multi-parameter digital labeling creates a foundation for a newapproach to Internet searches, one using artificial intelligence. Itshould be clarified that the term “artificial intelligence” as usedherein refers to “low-level” artificial intelligence with moderatereactive, adaptive, and semantic capabilities, as opposed to “strong”artificial intelligence with highly complex behavioral and comprehensionfeatures. Nonetheless, even low-level artificial intelligence isqualitatively different from, and a significant improvement over, thenon-adaptive, inflexible-response capabilities of searches by word matchor category listings.

[0053] Human intelligence is often distinguished from animalintelligence in that it involves the ability to understand andmanipulate symbols. In turn, artificial intelligence is often describedas the ability of a machine to mimic human intelligence; hence,artificial intelligence must also involve, to some extent, theunderstanding and manipulation of symbols.

[0054] Word-matching and category-listing activities are not symbolic instructure, so no search technology based on these could ever, by bothdefinition and practical demonstration, involve artificial intelligence.In contrast, digital labels are symbols, and a general system ofmulti-dimensional digital labeling can therefore provide the basis forsearches using artificial intelligence.

[0055] The forms of interaction between the computer and a user arepredicated by the aggregation of digital labels that are possible underthe system. First, therefore, the computer must know all the labelspossible within a given system. If this system were a subject-dedicatedHost Website as described further below, the number of possible labelswould be relatively easy to work with.

[0056] Second, the computer must be taught how different kinds of labelsrelate to each other. Some qualities represented by labels are mutuallyexclusive (e.g., church or restaurant); some are enumerative (e.g., thefacilities of a hotel); some subsume others (e.g., a country locationsubsumes cities within the country); and so forth. The digital labelsmust be organized in discrete fields, with appropriate operators. Ahierarchical alphabetic code with six or more levels is contemplated, inthe form: XX.xx.(xxx)n.(xxxx)n.(xxxxx)n.(xxxxxx)y, where XX represents acompulsory label indicating a broad sector, e.g., Retailer, where xxrepresents another compulsory label indicating a specific sub-class(e.g., sporting goods store); where (xxx)n represents non-compulsory,non-bounded enumerations that relate to the products or services of theXX.xx (e.g., tennis shoes, golf balls, each of these having its ownthree-letter code); where (xxxx)n represents non-compulsory, non-boundedenumerations that flow from and are particular to the predecessor xx orxxx (e.g., Adidas, Maxfli); (xxxxx)n represents non-bounded enumerationsrelating to trade practices such as opening hours, shipping policies,etc., that are compulsory for certain XX.xx.xxxn combinations but notothers; and (xxxxxx)y represents a worldwide location code in which thefirst two letters indicate the country. The form of the code isunimportant, so long as the fields are accurately structured to reflectsubstantial realities. This stage of creating the artificialintelligence is analogous to teaching basic symbolic or abstractconcepts to a child, such as: an object may be round or square but notboth; an apple is never purple; something purple cannot be an apple;etc.

[0057] Third, the computer must be given an extensive vocabulary andsyntax which relates to the labels. This is the interface between theeventual human user and the digital labels. Creating this vocabulary andsyntax are a lengthy and involved process which must be carried outmanually by humans, because it is the equivalent of teaching thecomputer how humans think. Fortunately, in a subject-dedicatedconstruct, the likely forms of interaction desired by users can bereadily appreciated and programmed for. The following box illustratesthese concepts within a hypothetical Digital-Labeling Website focused ona city: User Input Programmed Computer Response DVD Find four specificxx.xxx digital labels, identifying entities which sell DVD players,repair them, rent DVD discs, or sell DVD discs. Second-round response:offer to narrow the list to one of these categories. DVD rentals; Findone specific xxx-type digital label evidencing rental DVD; shops whichrent DVDs (Same response for all four DVDs for inputs; in practice, manymore variations would be hire; DVDs programmed to have identicalmeaning.) for rent Restaurant Block off entities which have the SpecificXX-type code meaning restaurant. Display on screen “Would you care toselect a type of cuisine; location; price range?” Walk user through anychoices made. Identify those whose labels evidenced all the requisitecharacteristics. Al's If Al's is known to the website, shows phone,address, Restaurant hyperlink if any. Does not list entries which usethe word “restaurant”. Chinese Find one specific XX.xx combination.Evaluate list; if restaurant(s) short, show on screen; if long, ask fora location parameter. Chinese Display on screen “Please indicate whichof these you are looking for: restaurant; movie theatre; civicorganization; government office; club. You may also ask me to perform aconventional word-match search for ‘Chinese’.” china Find severalspecific xx.xxx combinations evidencing stores which sell china, bonechina, stoneware, glass tableware, porcelain tableware; display list,but at top of list, offer alternative: “If you meant the country, pleaseclick here.” If clicked, would then show consulate, UN mission, etc. Atbottom of list, offers option “Any specific brand of china or type oftableware in mind?” [Box for user's response.]

[0058] Artificial intelligence searches are based on concepts ratherthan word-matches or category listings, and the computer's response toeach input is conditioned on knowledge imparted to the computer by itshuman programmers. In the example above, the response to “china”evidences the programmer's belief that most users (in the context of acity-oriented Host Website) who use this word by itself mean dishes, butallows an alternate possibility; whereas the response to “DVD” evidencesthe programmer's belief that any of the four possibilities is equallylikely, thus all four are immediately offered. As shown in the exampleabove, multi-parameter digital labeling permits second-rounddistillation to prune a large list down to a more manageable length.

[0059] The computer in the above example judges that persons in the citybrowsing for a restaurant will likely have both a type of cuisine and aneighborhood in mind, and may be concerned with price range, as well.This is best handled through a multi-parameter search from the outset,rather than forcing the user to follow a number of iterations beforebeing able to specify all the desired parameters. In contrast, thecomputer judges that persons looking for chinaware will be content tosee a city-wide list of vendors, but allows that a few will wish tospecify a particular brand of china, and further that many people willsay “china” when they mean porcelain, glass, or stoneware.

[0060] A well-designed artificial intelligence can therefore distinguishamong different kinds of search concepts, “guess” the searcher's likelymotives and concerns, and proceed along appropriate lines. This cangreatly simplify even a complicated search. The verv large differencebetween conventional word or category searches, and searches withartificial machine intelligence operating on a plurality of digitallabels, can be illustrated by example.

[0061] Digital labels can, for example, identify a website as onebelonging to (a) a drugstore; (b) in the Upper West Side of New YorkCity; (c) that is open 24 hours. Because of the contextual knowledge ofwhat kinds of labels may have been created for the hypothetical New YorkCity-focused Host Website, a computer can be programmed to understandthe phrase “all-night” as having the same meaning as “open 24 hours”,and “pharmacy” as having the same meaning as “drugstore”. Therefore,within reason, a user may use his or her own terminology to initiate asearch, and still get the same results, regardless of what words might(or might not) be on the target entries or websites. “All-nightpharmacy” will be unambiguously understood by a digital-label-basedsearch to mean the same as “24-hour drugstore”. Once the first set ofresults comes back, the computer could similarly be programmed torecognize if the number of hits is too large to be useful, and tosuggest means for narrowing the search. For example, it could beprogrammed to suggest “Narrow the list to a particular location?”, andoffer a list of districts in New York City to choose from. Now, the usermight select “Upper West Side”, yielding a list of all the 24-hourdrugstores in the Upper West Side.

[0062] A word-match-based search on a portal will yield little usefulinformation about “all-night pharmacies”, much less in the Upper WestSide of Manhattan. If any such entities are turned up, they are almostsure to be lost among the several million “hits” that come back.

[0063] A search by category, on the other hand, will begin byinstructing the user to select a category from (typically) several dozenpossibilities, each of which has multiply-nested sub-categories. Afterseveral iterations, the user may then come to a list of drugstores,which will have to be evaluated one by one in the hope of identifying adrugstore that is both in the Upper West Side and open 24 hours. This isconsiderably more tedious than an artificial-intelligence guided searchwould be.

[0064] Present filtering software, intended to block Web materialconsidered distasteful by some persons, is inaccurate or based onkeeping blacklists which are instantly out-of-date. Moreover, many ofthem only address sex-related websites, and not others which some mayconsider even more distasteful, such as “hate” or “school forterrorists” websites. Systematic multi-parameter digital labeling wouldallow the accurate identification of such websites.

[0065] The systems by which Personal Preference labels could be createdand used are:

[0066] 1. A specialized “Personal Preference” website would be createdto accept online self-labeling by sites on parameters such as sex,violence, or hate content. All sites on the Internet would be invited tohave themselves labeled (or compelled to do so as a condition of havingan Internet address).

[0067] 2. Sites would either receive null-report labels—no potentiallyoffensive content reported, or positive labels indicating that certainpotentially offensive characteristics were reported.

[0068] 3. The Personal Preference website would maintain a library ofall such labels. Persons would visit the Personal Preference website toregister preferences as to kinds of content they do not want shown ontheir computers, and leave a password. Their preferences would beencoded in a cookie (listing all the URLs which are to be avoided)deposited in the user's computer or browser files; this cookie would beso designed as to prevent the browser from accessing unwanted sites. Thecookie would automatically update itself. Should the user changepreferences, he or she would re-visit the specialized site, and make newselections, which would alter the cookie.

[0069] 4. Personal Preference labels could also be “resident” in eachwebsite, in a widely-agreed format and location. Browsers or filterscould be designed to check for such labels, according to a user'spreference, before opening other parts of a site, thus also thwarting“deep links”. This approach would require some alterations in Internetaddress-accessing protocols.

[0070] Personal Preference labels would help respect user preferenceswithout infringing on the First-Amendment rights of publishers. On theone hand, it may be presumed that a site with no label has potentiallydistasteful content. On the other hand, those who do label will likelybe truthful, since a deliberate mislabeling would constitute (or couldeasily be legislated to constitute) a fraud or felony, which presumablycould be penalized with closure of the site. The use of PersonalPreference labels thus allows an effective system for discriminatingamong websites, not on the basis of content (which would beunconstitutional), but on the basis of truth-in-labeling.

[0071] The preferred embodiment of multi-parameter digital labeling andartificial-intelligence searches is through Host Websites, a new form ofwebsite which provides listings and information on entities, people, ordocuments sharing a common characteristic, on an open andnon-exclusionary basis, employing automatic multi-parameter digitallabeling to record unambiguous qualitative information, and which offersthe use of these digital labels to the public to facilitate searches.Such a Host Website is hereinafter called a Host Website.

[0072] The structural role of a Host Website is to provide a “patch” forthe Internet's lack of hierarchical agglomerations of addresses. EachHost Website would represent a convenient means for Internetparticipants with a common characteristic to self-agglomerate throughone Host Website.

[0073] The configuration and operation of the Host Website will be moreclearly understood from the flow charts of FIGS. 1-3b, 5, 6 a and 6 band the screen displays of FIGS. 4a-4 k. The flow charts illustrate thecreation of a multi-parameter digital label and the process forsearching. This particular example is for a regional website in thePhilippines.

[0074]FIG. 1 is a programming flow chart for the introductory scriptwhen a “List Yourself” button on the screen is pressed by a subscriberor user. The user is presented with a display similar to the one shownin FIG. 4a in which he is advised that the Host Website is directed tolistings in relation to the Philippines. The user is then presented withseveral choices: Open a Questions and Answers text; Create a NewPersonal Listing; Create a New General Listing; Amend a Listing; andDelete a Listing. Each of these choices results in a discrete modulebeing opened. Provision is made for a benign cookie which isextinguished once a listing is completed, and whose presence at thisstage would indicate a listing-in-process that was not completed in onesession, noting where the listing left off; past answers can beretrieved from a temporary file in the Host Website database, so thatthe subscriber does not have to re-enter the data.

[0075] Wherever possible, the List Yourself sequence employs “radiobuttons,” subscriber choices which, when clicked or checked, immediatelyproceed to the next appropriate page without the necessity of clicking aNext button. This saves time and effort (mouse movements/clicks,keystrokes) for the person entering a listing.

[0076]FIGS. 2a and 2 b show a programming flow chart which assumes“Create a New General Listing” was selected (i.e. user clicked “General”in FIG. 4a). This flow chart defines the sequence of gathering names andgeneral contact data from the subscriber who is advised that he need notsupply all “other information” (illustrated in FIGS. 4b and 4 c). Thisleads to a choice from among thirteen broad categories (FIG. 4d). Thesecategories were deemed appropriate in light of the subject. A HostWebsite on a different subject would have a different number ordefinition of categories.

[0077] Though not depicted in the flow chart, the programming underlyingFIG. 4b is designed to accept either an organization name or a person'sname, but not both. The act of typing a character in any box causes theautomatic erasure of any previous typing in the other box. Moreover, theprogramming also checks if an email address in the correct format hasbeen entered; and if not, it prompts the user to enter the emailaddress, and/or tells the user what is wrong with the address entered(e.g., no “@” symbol found, no dot-suffix found). These are examples ofthe use of low-level artificial intelligence to make the listing processsmooth and error-free, while minimizing keystrokes for the user.

[0078]FIGS. 3a and 3 b show a programming flow chart which assumes that“Churches & Religious Organizations” was selected as a main category inFIG. 4d. The visitor is now asked to specify whether it is an organizedreligion, a religious order or a specific place of worship that is beinglisted (FIG. 4e), then what the religious denomination is (FIG. 4f).With each answer given, the Host Website computer writes an appropriatealphanumeric code into a temporary file in its own database. This is a“scrapbook” file where all the digital labels created for alisting-in-process are stored.

[0079] There is a sub-routine which is presented only to thoseidentifying themselves as both Roman Catholic and a Place of Worship,allowing the subscriber to specify whether it is a cathedral, abasilica, a regular church, or a chapel. The page that would appear tothe subscriber is illustrated in FIG. 4g. This level of detail is afunction of this particular country, and would not be warranted for,say, Indonesia. There is a further sub-routine which allows thespecification of activities or facilities offered by the respondent; thepage that would be shown to the visitor is illustrated in FIG. 4h.Finally, Places of Worship (but not Organized Religions or ReligiousOrders) are asked to specify a location. FIG. 4i illustrates alocation-query page as it would appear to a visitor.

[0080] The location choices shown in FIG. 4i are particular to Places ofWorship. These choices are programmed in anticipation of how a futuresite visitor might wish to search for a Place of Worship (e.g., withMetro Manila broken into several districts). A pulp-and-paper factory,for example, would be presented with different location definitions andchoices that are more appropriate for its nature (e.g., Metro Manilawould not even be a choice, it being a known fact that there are no suchfactories there, nor could there be). This is another example of howlow-level artificial intelligence can be programmed into a DigitalLabeling Website. The following are examples of the codes created whenthe user follows the routine of FIGS. 3a-3 b. “CR” is written whenvisitors select G-2. “PW” is written when visitors select specific placeof worship. “RMN” is written when visitors select roman catholic. “CATH”is written when a PW/RMN coded visitor indicates cathedral. “phmkti” iswritten when visitors indicate the location in Makati the centraldistrict of Metro Manila. All respondents eventually wind up by beingasked to enter a text description (FIG. 4j), for example, schedule ofservices, special interests, etc. The subscriber can then verify allprevious answers (FIG. 4k), and click a Submit Listing (bottom of 4 k).Also within FIG. 4k is a box which allows the user to indicate if it iswilling to receive information related to its field (which in this caseis Religion). This is an example of I-Want-Mail labeling.

[0081]FIG. 5 illustrates how the multi-parameter digital labels arecreated and then permanently stored in the Host Website database. When aSubmit Listing button is pressed (bottom of FIG. 4k), the computer readsits “scrapbook” file on the listing-in-process; and searches for thecolumns in its database which correspond to each label. Under eachcolumn, the unique ID number of the subscriber is written in. Forexample, there might be a column in the Host Website database for thedigital label “phmkti”, which means a location in Makati, the centralbusiness district of Manila. If a church, synagogue, or mosque hadindicated a Makati location, its ID would be inscribed in the columntitled “phmkti”, along with all other listed entities (restaurants,hotels, stores, etc.) which indicated a Makati location. The same willbe done for every digital label that applies to the listing.

[0082] Hybrid digital labels could be treated in essentially similarfashion. For each pre-defined hybrid field, the unique ID number of eachsubscriber (with entries for that field) would be written in. Appendedto that ID number would be a data row of unlimited length which includeseach of the text entries, individually.

[0083]FIGS. 6a and 6 b show the search logic in response to an inputtedword or phrase by a surfer. First, the Host Website computer checks ifthere is a proper name which corresponds. In effect, a word-match searchwill be conducted, but limited to fields which have been defined asname-type fields. This is an example of a hybrid-digital-label search.There are several fields defined as proper names such as main listingtitle, enumerations of alternate names of companies (e.g., “Coke” forCoca-Cola Bottling Company), enumerations of corporate officers, andenumerations of brands carried. If a user were to enter “IBM”, then IBM(Philippines), Inc., would immediately be accessed; while if a userentered “George Smith”, and there were a George Smith listed as anofficer of IBM, then Mr. Smith's entry would come up; and finally, if auser entered “Gucci”, stores which indicated that they stock Gucci branditems would be returned as search hits. Second (in addition to thefirst), the computer checks if the inputted word is on its Wordlinksdatabase—meaning it is a word or phrase that the computer “understands.”It would then search its database for entries with the appropriatedigital labels. “Xerox”, for example, refers to a company and also tophotocopying in general, so it would be on the Wordlinks database. A“Xerox” search would yield first Xerox (Philippines), Inc., then a listof other companies selling, manufacturing, or repairing photocopiers.Third, if there is a Wordlink, the computer evaluates if there areactual entries which correspond to the Wordlink, e.g., in the “Xerox”example, if there are listed entities which sell, make, or repairphotocopiers. If there are none (and if there was no proper-name match),it explains that it understands what the searcher is looking for, butdoesn't have any entries which match. If, for example, one were tosearch for “Manila resort”, the computer would scan its database andfind it has no resorts which are in Manila, and report this to the user.Fourth, the computer would count the number of hits turned up by aWordlink action, and if the list is greater than 4, offer (if one isavailable) a way of shortening the list. For example, a search for“Manila restaurants” is likely to yield a long list; before evendisplaying the results, the computer would ask the user to select a typeof cuisine; a more defined location in Manila, a price range, etc. Theuser could specify any, all, or none of the parameters offered, and thecomputer would then display the appropriate list.

[0084] Though not shown on the flow chart, as a matter of fairness toall listers, the order of presentation of results to generic searcheswould be randomized, so that AAA Plumbing is not always at the top ofthe list when a user enters “plumber”.

[0085] Finally, if there is neither a name-match nor a word/phrase thatthe computer has been taught to understand, then it would carry out aconventional word-search of its entire database. For each Host Website,when this happens the particulars will be logged and manually evaluated,with a view to expanding the Wordlinks database and thus the computer'svocabulary.

[0086] By establishing an agreed context for interaction betweenpublishers and users, Host Websites greatly facilitate the process.Unlike a portal which of necessity must try to be all things to allpeople, a Host Website can be graphically and mechanically structured tosuit the subject matter and make it easy for users to find theinformation they need. A Host Website can also be programmed tounderstand certain words and terms as having a particular meaning in thecontext of its subject.

[0087] Host Websites are open markets for information, and thereforeefficient, unlike portals which pose effective, if unintended, barriersto entry. The right to list on a Host Website is unequivocal and notsubject to human review; listings are initiated by the subscribers,which may therefore choose which Host Website(s) to list on. Thisassures that each Host Website has a self-selected population—a majorstep toward accurate search results.

[0088] Host Website search results will be concise. Most searches by aconventional search engine will yield thousands to millions of “hits”,or possible answers. Even if the correct answer is there somewhere, itis nearly useless if it is buried in a mountain of non-answers.

[0089] Host Websites, by employing unambiguous qualitativemulti-parameter digital labels, also permit searches by artificialintelligence, as described above.

[0090] Host Websites permit automated multi-parameter search, notdefined solely by matching words or phrases or by broad pre-determinedcategories (as is the case with all search engines and portals), but byqualitative characteristics such as price range, services provided orproducts sold, and others. An example of a multi-parameter search is onethat seeks (1) a resort in a specified country, (2) with king-beddedrooms, (3) that offers both golfing and scuba-diving. This kind ofsearch is simply beyond the scope of searches based on mere word matchesor category listings.

[0091] Host Websites permit qualitative second-round (third round, etc.)distillation of search results, which permit the further narrowing-downof the original results, according to qualitative parameters that can beselected by the user. There is no existing portal or search engine whichallows qualitative second-round distillation. (Some portals permitadditional words to be entered after an original search; but this is notqualitative distillation. Moreover, as an empirical matter, suchfeatures will only yield a useful result if the target entities wereknown in the first place, in which case they could have been founddirectly.)

[0092] Though primarily intended for those with websites, Host Websitesadmit listings from those without websites, who would create aninformation entry on the Host Website itself.

[0093] Host Websites represent a clear solution to the number oneproblem facing the vast majority of website publishers (or would-bewebsite publishers)—how to get their sites found. Publishers couldsimply sign up online with a Host Website that covers their activity,and be assured that they will be found through it. For example, a smallbusiness website selling cookies has little chance of getting noticed bya portal; but if it were listed on a hypothetical Host Website forInternet Vendors, this Host Website would consistently attract anappropriate audience, and the cookie-vendor's chances of getting foundby people who want to buy cookies over the Web would increase greatly.

[0094] As a matter of fact, there are already websites whose subject isInternet Vendors, but because these sites are manually assembled andmanaged, and lack multi-parameter digital labeling, it is very difficultfor them to attract enough listings or enough traffic to reach acritical mass. Persons may use such sites once or twice, then be unableto return later because they have forgotten the web address. Thus, such“list” sites themselves join the ranks of comparatively anonymous siteswhich have trouble getting found.

[0095] A Host Website is so structured that creation of a listing on itcan be done by a person online at any time, without other humanintervention, and have immediate effect.

[0096] The subscribing entity can use its real name on its listing. Incontrast, Internet-address conventions impose severe limits on how adomain name is structured, and many entities may not be able to obtain adomain name that closely resembles their real or trade names. In thissense, a Host Website is also incidentally a mechanism for translating atrade or everyday business name into an Internet address.

[0097] Listing on any Host Website is open and non-exclusionary. Anylegitimate entity will enjoy an unequivocal right to be listed in any orall Host Websites. For example, in a hypothetical Host Website for“Cars”, Boeing Corporation could list itself there if it wanted to.Given the tens of millions of Internet participants, self-agglomerationand the permitting of multiple listings represent the only feasible andsensible approach to sorting entities on the Internet. (The alternative,that an authority would evaluate every site on the Web in order tocharacterize each one according to multiple parameters, is obviouslyunworkable, and unlikely to lead to any more accurate or equitableresults.)

[0098] A Host Website listing can be amended online by the listing partywithout other human intervention, with immediate effect. For example, ifa retail shop changes its email address, the new one can be immediatelyentered. In contrast, if a portal is carrying incorrect information(e.g., a link to a defunct web address), it is necessary to write to theportal and wait for a human to make the correction.

[0099] Host Website listings are multi-parameter digitally labeled withunambiguous information that is computer-manipulable. This greatlybenefits the subscriber by accurately identifying it when appropriate insearches.

[0100] Host Website sites are designed to assist both publishers andusers. Publishers are those who seek to provide, through the Internet, amore or less permanent and continuing source of information aboutthemselves. One important feature of Host Websites is that they are openand non-exclusionary on both the user side and the publisher side. Otherkinds of websites which are, in a loose sense, open and non-exclusionaryare auction, discussion, game, deal-broking, and similar sites. However,in all such sites the participants are users, not publishers. Theirparticipation is transactional in nature, and cannot be characterized asa “permanent and continuing source of information” in the same sense asby website publishers.

[0101] This is not merely splitting hairs. The universe of Internetparticipants whose primary concern is publishing includes all juridicalentities or businesses with websites, all educational institutions, andall government instrumentalities—in other words, the Internet's payingconstituents. On the one hand, the Internet offers passably-goodmechanisms, in the form of auction and discussion sites, for individualsto trade baseball cards or express their views on Britney Spears. Incontrast, the Internet has no good mechanisms for publishers, whosedomain-name fees provide most of the money for maintaining the Internetitself, to systematically reach or be found by their intended Internetaudiences. Host Websites offer such a mechanism.

[0102] The process of subscribing to a Host Website is designed forlayman-friendly operation, requiring no computer literacy (other thanthe ability to get on the Internet and type), and offering fail-safepaths and prompts to ensure that a listing is correctly entered.

[0103] The listing function on a Host Website has low-level artificialintelligence in that it adapts its line of questioning depending on theprevious answers, avoiding asking redundant or inapplicable questions.Only 5-10 minutes' time is required online to create a basic listing ona Host Website, making this by a wide margin the fastest and mosthassle-free way to establish a presence on the Internet.

[0104] Thus, Host Websites provide a ready means by which any entity canfind a suitable niche for itself on the Internet, especially benefittingindividuals or small businesses with limited resources. This benefit isnot attainable without the subject-specific nature of a Host Website;for example, the hypothetical cookie vendor would have great difficultyfinding a suitable business category in a conventional portal. If itfound one, it would later discover that few people visit the portal withthe intent of looking for cookies.

[0105] Across the board and without exception, existingBusiness-to-Business websites suffer from two flaws, one mechanical andthe other conceptual. The mechanical flaw is extreme complexity,requiring lengthy and diligent navigation, and a great deal of reading.Notwithstanding this complexity, eventually all Business-to-Businesssites fall back on human judgment at the site: “Tell us about yourself,and let's talk”. This flaw stems from the lack of a defined context forinteractions. The conceptual flaw is the belief that all goods andservices are inherently commodities, whose buyers are substantiallyindifferent as to who the sellers are. This is patently not the case inreal life. As any genuine business-person knows, brand names, returnpolicies, shipping times, tracking procedures, payment procedures orcredit terms, physical location, and similar considerations alwaysmatter, and almost always outweigh mere price considerations.

[0106] By their nature as subject-specific sites, Host Websites canavoid the mechanical flaw of excessive complexity. And by digitallylabeling entries, Host Websites can be designed to quickly and readilyconvey qualitative information about the sellers and buyers themselves,incorporating information of the types recited above, which will oftenbe useful in narrowing the field of potential trading partners. MostBusiness-to-Business site concepts can therefore best be served by theuse of the Host Website structure and related inventions.

[0107] Each Host Website can be individually designed for each subjectand the potential forms of interaction predicated by the subject, whilestill preserving the common fundamental concepts underlying all HostWebsites. There are numerous plausible subjects for Host Websites. Manyof them would enable much-expanded Business-to-Business,Business-to-Consumer, and Consumer-to-Consumer applications, foreexample: there can be a Host Website for Internet Vendors. The dilemmaof Business-to-Consumer has been that if one starts small, it is verydifficult to get noticed and stay noticed; while if one starts big, oneis forced to develop complicated procurement, inventory, order-taking,and delivery systems instantly, a death-defying process which rarelyends well. Thus, Host Website would perform a useful economic and socialfunction by sustaining visibility for small and medium vendors, allowingthem to develop at a rational pace (or indeed to stay small yetprosperous); a Host Website for each country; a Host Website for eachcity or metropolitan area in the world with a million or moreinhabitants; a Host Website for Visual Arts, which would link artists,galleries, and re-sellers with buyers around the world; a Host Websitefor Education, covering universities, colleges, preparatory schools,high schools, language schools, music schools and tutoring;manufacturers of any types of equipment which schools need; textbookpublishers and authors; a Host Website for Books which includes authors,books and periodicals, libraries, bookstores, book auctioneers, bookclubs (sellers), book societies and discussion groups, book publishers,and book reviewers; a Host Website for Newspapers, Magazines, andPeriodicals around the globe; a Host Website for Science and Technologywhich includes journals and publications of all kinds, associations,research groups, foundations, universities, museums, onlinedemonstrations and displays; a Host Website for Movies, Music, andEntertainment which includes people, companies, books, periodicals,software like CDs and tapes, vendors of memorabilia and othernon-software products, catalogues of reviews, fan clubs, talent agents,acting and singing instruction, and musical instruction; a Host Websitefor Sports which includes people, companies, teams, tickets to events,manufacturers and retailers of equipment and clothing, sports-relatedcollectibles, books and magazines, videos, vendors of accessories andgadgets for sports fans, and sports arenas and stadiums; a Host Websitefor Golf, which includes golf courses and clubs, equipment and clothing,instruction, training devices, gadgets and gifts, books and magazines,tickets to golf events, course designers and builders, hotels of specialappeal to golfers, and golfing holidays; a Host Website for Foods andWines which includes purveyors of fine or international foods; smallbusinesses selling a few specialized items; makers of food-processing orcooking equipment (industrial, commercial, and home); food and winegadgets; providers of food raw materials, ingredients, and additives; aHost Website for Children, with a global orientation and covering toys,books, clothes, education, special education, medical services, andassorted products for expectant mothers to toddlers to 18-year olds; aHost Website for Luxury Lifestyles, covering luxury goods and servicesplus specialty legal, financial, and accounting services; second-handluxury items; leasing; hotels and restaurants for the well-to-do: andreal estate; a Host Website for Persons, whose function would be toallow persons of all nationalities to reach and interact with each otherover the Internet, where the use of multi-parameter digital labeling toidentify personal characteristics and preferences can greatly assist theprocess of choosing persons to correspond with; a Host Website forInformation, Discussion, Entertainment, and Advice, which would coverall websites which are primarily constituted to offer any of these overthe Web, including portals and list sites, discussion forums, onlinegames, advice and “expert” sites, and comparison shopping sites; a HostWebsite for Online Intermediation, which would cover all websites whichare primarily constituted to introduce or provide a forum for buyers andsellers, such as auction sites and business-introduction sites; HostWebsites (one each) for different professional categories on a worldwidebasis, such as doctors, lawyers, etc., which includes publications,universities offering related degrees; practitioners, associations, andcompanies or sources which provide information, products, or services tothe profession; Host Websites (one each) for different industries ortypes of businesses on a global, regional, or country basis. Examples ofthese are Hotels and Resorts, Cars and Accessories, Boats and Yachts,Computer Software and Hardware, Home and Building Products, andGarments.

[0108] A logical extension to Host Websites is the “Host WebsiteCentral” or “Star-Portal”. The purpose of a Star-Portal would be tocombine a wide range of Host Websites with different audiences andsubject matters, all under one convenient Internet address. With amultiplicity of Host Websites, the public might soon lose track of HostWebsite addresses, or otherwise have difficulty identifying theparticular Host Website they need. The Star-Portal would link to aplurality of Host Websites, avoiding this problem. Additionally,Star-Portals could offer “one-stop” listing procedures for entitieswhich wished to list themselves on two or more different Host Websites.

[0109] In a further elaboration of the usefulness of multi-parameterdigital labeling, provision could also be made for individuals to getlisted on a Host Website, and have themselves digitally labeled. Suchpersonal digital labels could convey a variety of information, but oneimmediate application is in respect to spam and email solicitations ingeneral.

[0110] Most observers decry the practice of spamming, the sending ofunsolicited emails on a scattergun basis to large numbers of emailaddresses. But in fact many persons are open to receiving unsolicitedemails in general, or at least email offers which relate to a subject inwhich they are interested. A problem only arises when large volumes ofunwanted spam flood an individual's email inbox.

[0111] Multi-parameter digital labels offer a solution, as shown in thefollowing methodology:

[0112] 1. Visitors to a Host Website (whether as individuals orrepresentatives of a company) would be offered the option to listthemselves online.

[0113] 2. A question-and-answer sequence, similar to that for a website,would ensue, with a view to gathering basic demographic data anddetermining which subjects the visitors would be willing to receivenotices about.

[0114] 3. In a non-specific context, creating a list of positivepreferences for spam would be daunting for both the programmer and therespondee. However, Host Websites provide an ideal means of gettingaround this problem, by defining a limited subject. For example, in ahypothetical Host Website for Books, an individual could ask to receivenotices about: new books in tightly-specified subjects, e.g., Egyptianarchaeology; new bookstores opening in their city or on the Internet;book launchings and author appearances; book society events in theircity; and so forth.

[0115] 4. Having made their preferences known, listed persons could alsoamend these preferences online, in similar fashion as for websites.

[0116] 5. The Host Website would make the use of its I-Want-Maillistings available to the trade, or those otherwise involved in thesubject. To continue with the Books Host Website example, publisherswith new books could request the Host Website to send notices to thepeople who said they would be interested in this subject; whilepublic-relations consultants could do the same in respect ofbook-launchings.

[0117] I-Want-Mail labels, in contrast, are a means of organizing emailsolicitation on the Internet for the benefit of both the recipients (whocan select what subjects they really want), and the senders (who cansend their solicitations to self-identified parties with some assuranceof commercial success, while avoiding bothering the general public). Thewidespread use of I-Want-Mail labeling would provide genuine benefits tothe large majority of Internet participants by channeling information,of a specified nature, to those interested in receiving it.

[0118] A special ergonomic graphic interface has been designed for HostWebsites and Star-Portals, consisting of a fixed, non-scrolling, andessentially unchanging “main frame” which entirely surrounds a simulatedvideo screen or screens, which are the only parts of the monitor displaywhich actually change as a user navigates around the Host Website. Anexample is shown in FIG. 7 with a main-frame 101 which entirelysurrounds a screen or screens 102.

[0119] With most websites, each time another page within the site isaccessed, the entire physical-monitor screen display (except the browsertoolbars) is “washed away” and replaced with new images and text. (Thatthe new page may re-create some images from the previous page, e.g., awebsite logo or toolbar, does not change the fact that the screen was ineffect cleared and then re-drawn.)

[0120] The simulated-console display has the following advantages:

[0121] 1. Toolbars, such as toolbars 103, and repeating graphics do nothave to be re-drawn by the computer each time a new page is accessed.This speeds up the loading of new pages.

[0122] 2. Simulated-console displays allow a more logical placement ofcommands 104 and buttons 106 with different functions for expectedfrequencies of use, making site navigation more intuitive and lessreading-intensive than the single-toolbar approach used by a few sites.This kind of display could thus be described as “ergonomic”.

[0123] 3. The permanent location of the simulated screens 102 within theconsole provides a visual cue which reduces the visual and mental strainneeded to understand a display or to find information on the displays.For example, a main screen could display the content asked for in asearch, while a smaller guide screen could offer advice to the user onwhat to do next. Knowing that the smaller screen usually displays“advice”, a user (after a little practice) will instinctively turn hisor her eye to that screen when help is needed.

[0124] 4. By representing a physical object, the simulated-consoledisplay seems more inviting and provides an ersatz “tactile” dimensionwhich will be appreciated by most if not all users. Many users with a“right-brain” orientation will find the simulated-console display easierto use than conventional website interfaces, thus facilitating Internetparticipation by a large segment of the public.

[0125] 5. Providing a constant main-frame 101 eliminates the risk that auser will get lost within a site or have difficulty navigating it. Thecurrent art of providing site “maps” is perhaps useful to themechanically-inclined, but does little to guide the averagenon-mechanical lay-person.

[0126] 6. Finally, the use of screens-within-the-real-screen permits theorderly presentation of online advertising when a given screen is idle,without cluttering the overall look of a page and without confusing theuser as to which items are part of the website and which are transientadvertising.

[0127] In summary, the Host Website's graphic interface, asimulated-console display, offers many advantages over other webpagedesigns. While this kind of interface will not be appropriate for allpublishers, it is particularly well-suited to websites which need todisplay a large variety of different kinds of information in an orderlyand appealing manner. Examples of such websites are: portals, listsites, newspapers and magazines, online catalogues, and online vendorsin general.

What is claimed is:
 1. A host website for listing subscriberscomprising: a computer system, said computer system includes a digitallabel database for providing to a listing subscriber digital labelsrepresenting different specific qualities and a subscriber database forstoring a listing of subscribers' digital labels, said computer systembeing configured to respond to a subscriber's request for listing andguiding the subscriber via the Host Website display to enter informationpertaining to the subscriber and converting the information to digitallabels by accessing said digital label database and storing thesubscriber's digital labels in said host website database, and saidcomputer further configured to enable users to search said database forsubscriber digital labels identifying specific subscriber qualities. 2.A website as in claim 1 in which the website is configured for aspecific subject.
 3. A website comprising a computer system, saidcomputer system including a structured database for storing subscribermulti-parameter digital labels identifying subscribers' characteristicsand configured to enable users to search said multi-parameter digitaldata for a subscriber having specific characteristics.
 4. A website asin claim 3 wherein the website is configured for a specific subject. 5.A digital labeling site for subscribers comprising: a computer systemincluding a database for storing digital labels representing differentspecific qualities of potential subscribers, and configured to respondto a subscriber's request for digital labeling and guiding thesubscriber via the site's display to enter identifying andcharacteristic information regarding the subscriber and converting theinformation to subscriber digital labels by accessing said database. 6.A host website comprising a computer including means for storingmulti-parameter digital labels of a plurality of subscriber websites,and means for manipulating said digital labels to permit searchingthrough the plurality of digital labels for one or more qualitativeparameters conveyed by said digital labels.
 7. A website for listingwebsites on the Internet comprising: a computer system, said computersystem including a digital label database for providing to a listingsubscriber digital labels representing different specific qualities anda subscriber database for storing a listing of subscribers digitallabels. said computer system being configured to respond to asubscriber's request for listing and guiding the subscriber via thewebsite display to enter information pertaining to the subscriber andconverting the information to digital labels by accessing said digitallabel database and storing subscriber digital labels in Host Websitedatabases.